What Goes
Around
'43*
Why you'll want to be part
of this circle.
all ages,"
she invites —
and indeed
everyone will
have fun listen-
ing to this CD
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor
Join the Circle by Elaine Serling. (Danza Publications;
$17.98). For information: Danza Publications, PO
Box 252053, West Bloomfield, MI 48325, or
wvvw.jewishmusic.com
Jewish children's CDs often run the gamut from awful
to insufferable.
Usually they're a rehash of the same, old numbers
(how many times can a person hear "I Had A Little
Dreidel" before going certifiably insane?) and/or so
gosh-darn perky you feel like you need a glass of
straight lemon juice just to quell the sickening sweet.
Thank goodness for Elaine Serling. Finally something
terrific, and it's right here in our back yard.
Serling, of West Bloomfield, composes her own
music and writes the lyrics and she sings on Join the
Circle, a follow-up to her Sing and Celebrate CD.
"Come my friends, hubbies, zaydes, and kinderlach of
Two Good
Wishing you good stars and
good omens.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Apple7i•ee Editor
I t could be called the most popular Jewish wed-
ding song of all time.
At Jewish marriage ceremonies, family and
friends burst into a rousing chorus (forget any
semblance of decorum and reserve — this is sung with
fervor) of "Siman toy and mazal toy and mazal tov and
siman toy," repeated time and again (along with the
Hebrew words for "May it be for us and for all of
Israel") until all voices are hoarse.
Just about everyone sings the song — but what does
it really mean?
Today, mazal tov can accompany just about every-
thing from "Heard your son got into Yale" to "So glad
to hear your baby cut her first teeth."
It doesn't actually mean "congratulations," though.
Maza/actually means "luck," and tov translates to
"good."
In biblical times, as well as those of the Talmud,
that celebrates Israel
and Jewish life. You'll hear (and
then want to sing along; this is absolutely a sing-along
kind of CD) about life on the kibbutz ("Early, early
morning, time to rise/Watch the sun, greet the
skies/Hush, so still, not a word is heard/Whistling of
the wind and songs of a bird") and Chanukah ("So
light the lights the very first night/To remember those
in the fateful fight/The Maccabees were brave and
strong/The oil they found, burned eight days long")
and hopes for the future, in the very nice " Yesh Li
Chalom" ("I Have a Dream").
Serling's lyrics are just right — fun and original, sim-
ple enough but never insipid. She also features a nice
amount of Hebrew, which works especially well in a
mazal could mean a star, a planet or a constellation in
the zodiac. This was a time when men and women
everywhere, in both the Jewish and gentile communi-
ties, strongly believed that one's fate was linked to the
stars in the sky. To wish someone mazal toy meant "the
stars should be in your favor."
Over the years, as belief in astrology waned, the term
came to be used strictly as a form of congratulations.
Siman toy comes from the Talmud, and it means
good omen.
Throughout the years, Ashkanzim have preferred
mazal toy while the Sephardic community has opted
for siman toy to express its congratulations.
Of course, at a wedding you'll find families of every
background, so why not cover all bases and join in
wishing, Siman toy and mazal toy.0
"
"
- You've always. wondered ... now you know.
Here is your chance to learn all kinds of com-
pelling and unusual facts about Jewish life
throughout the years. Now You Know introduces
• you to famous scholars and infamous gangsters,
considers decisions and incidents that continue to
shape the - way we live today, and tells you the story
behind everything from classic Jewish texts to
Hollywood feuds — all on a single page. It's histo-
ry, and it's fun; sit down and learn a little (best of
all, there are no homework assignments).
D F
Are You Puzzled?
66
Tell Me Why
66
song about Jewish names.
While most of the CD is directed toward children,
parents will appreciate Serling's, "For Now and
Forever." This lovely melody, which Serling dedicated
to her daughters, is a wedding song that is certain to
have moms and dads everywhere in happy tears as they
envision their own child coming together with his or
her beloved. Highly recommended.
The Bachelor and the Bean by Shelley Fowles. (Farrar,
Straus & Giroux; $16) Recommended for all ages; 32
pages.
Something funny is going on in this book — some-
thing very funny.
The Bachelor and the Bean is based on a famous
Jewish folktale that originated (likely depending on
where the storyteller is from) in Yemen, Morocco,
Tunisia -or Turkey
Chances are you've heard
the tale of a man who finds
an unusual pot and the
clever apparition (in this
case, an "imp") who per-
form wonders. As this ver-
sion begins, the man (here,
a very crotchety one) wish-
es for "a tasty stew with
almonds and raisins" and
sure enough, the pot is
suddenly filled with stew.
What makes this
tizsirAS
retelling so delightful is,
Scot-
first, the writing itself. Its
great!
b
•
The man's pot is, alas, stolen by a "silly old biddy"
When first he meets her he thinks ... "Such a strong
voice! Such a nasty temper! Such awful manners ...
What a wonderful woman! How they would shout at
each other! They were a perfect match."
The second remarkable feature of this book is the
art. Author/ai-tist Shelley Fowles, of London, England,
is a master: her pictures are both fun and breathtak-
ingly beautiful.
This book is recommended for children aged 4-8,
but the only readers who won't appreciate this treasure
is those without a sense of humor. ❑
Editor's Note: You can find some ofthe materials
reviewed in AppleTre, and much more, at
wwwjewish.com in the chi lth-en's section.
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2003
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